Across the Atlas One Blog at a Time

Month: February 2016

Walking down the halls of my university, my curiosity got the best of me. As I was walking to my class, there was a poster on the wall. This poster was an advertisement for an English camp in Monterrey, Mexico. Who knew this poster would lead me into an exciting experience.

outside view of my hotel, Hugo Morel

It was the last three weeks of 2012. It was a cold day in New York City and going to Mexico to teach English seemed so simple. Since, I speak the language and grew up in California majority of my childhood. Going to Mexico in December, I didn’t have much to think twice about it. After a week of workshops in Manhattan, it was time for us to take a bus to Dallas for more lovely(sarcastic tone)workshops. The drive was crazy and I was not sure, if I would be able to sit again.

middle of nowhere USA, Hugo Morel

Once we got to Dallas, we went to our hotel.Our group stayed at the Marriott Hotel. The hotel had a very welcoming vibe. As you enter, you are greeted by the front desk. Going up to the hotel rooms,you see all the beautiful lights and carpet decorations. We spent most of our time here, while in Dallas. This was where the English workshops were held at.

ceiling of the hotel, Hugo Morel

our hotel room, Hugo

After settling down and resting, we started our English teaching crash-courses. The whole event was being held by IYF. IYF was created in South Korea. Many Korean friends were made. Also, learned a lot about the Korean culture. How South Korea was really poor not too long ago. The technology boom, helped South Korea become a global economical force. They performed Korean dramas and plays. Our Korean friends, also gave us some of their food to eat. This was the first time I tried Kimchi and it was a great experience. It was spicy and went well with rice. This made me feel bad for not checking out Koreatown in Los Angles.

Dallas downtown with the Texas state flag, Hugo Morel

Another shot of Downtown Dallas, Hugo Morel

After our workshops, we had time to explore Dallas. Unfortunately, it was raining by the time we were able to go out and about.That still did not stop us from exploring this city. Once we were done with our Tex Mex food, we found out how slow paced this city is compared to New York City. This city also has deep cowboy roots that are not hard to spot, when wondering this metropolitan. With all the exploring done, we went back to our crash-courses to get ready for Monterrey, Mexico.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Also, wanted to thank you all for the growth of this blog. Last week, we just reached a little over 100 followers and now we have just over 200!!! All this in one week!! We also just reached over 1000 views this month. Once again, thank you guys so much for this. This such a humbling experience. Check up on us next week, we will be in Monterrey, Mexico. Much Love!!! Stay safe!!

Little Haiti, a place of real culture and down to earth people. Going to Little Haiti was a very eventful time in my life. I made friendships that would open many doors and eventually this blog.

Little Haiti Cultural Center, Hugo Morel

Going to Little Haiti, I do recommend going by car. Public transportation to Little Haiti is not always the best. Once you are there, most of the corner stores are Haitian owned. Make sure to check them out, when you get the chance. You can get a lot of Haitian products from fruits to candy bars.

Haitian Flag street art, Hugo Morel

While in Little Haiti, you must eat at a local restaurant. No fast-food or Mcdonald’s! Eating from those types of restaurants, will ruin your experience in this cultural paradise. If you want some real cultural food, always ask the locals.

A nice family owned restaurant,Hugo Morel

After asking around, I was told about a restaurant called The New Piman Bouk restaurant. It was a great place to go. It gives you the feels of being in Haiti. The restaurant is owned by a Haitian-American family. This is authentic as it gets for Haitian Creole food in America. One plate of food can feed two people. It is a great place for food at a great price.

Haitian soda, Hugo Morel

another view of the soda, Hugo Morel

Haitian Food, Hugo Morel

Little Haiti has many cultural activities. While in Little Haiti, make sure to check out the Cultural Center. The Cultural Center has many events throughout the year. From movies to social groups, Little Haiti’s Cultural Center is place to visit for anybody looking to experience the local culture.

Just want to say thank you to you all for reading and liking my posts. We reached over 100 followers. I met the person who pushed me into starting this blog in Little Haiti. Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be going to Dallas for some workshops to teach English in mexico. Much Love!!

Little Havana, the soul of Miami’s Cuban culture. Where you can find questionably legal Cuban cigars and Cuban flags on almost every block. Little Havana was a blast to visit. My friends just arrived to Miami and we were in for a treat.

Street Art on Calle Ocho of Latin America , Hugo Morel

Memorial day weekend in Miami is very hectic. When traveling to Miami, try to avoid this weekend. You will not be able to fully experience the city because of the bumper to bumper traffic. Luckily for us, Little Havana and Little Haiti were unaffected.

Cuban and American Flags, Hugo Morel

roster statue, Hugo Morel

calle ocho, Hugo Morel

After finally meeting up with friends, we tour little Havana. Little Havana has many choices of Cuban restaurants. For more authentic Cuban, the best restaurants are on Calle Ocho (8th street). Most restaurants would serve you a huge platter of food for about ten dollars. Some are buffet style, if you want to pig out or want the most bang for your buck, these are the best spots. The only problem with buffet style restaurants, there is a lost of authenticity to the food.

twelve dollar meal including drinks, Hugo Morel

buffet style meal with Cuban “tacos”, Hugo Morel

Something you must do in Little Havana is to walk down Calle Ocho. Walking down Calle Ocho, you get to see more of the Cuban culture. From the Cuban movie theaters to the Cuban liquor. On Calle Ocho, there is a Latin Walk of Fame. Similar to Hollywood’s, The Latin Walk of Fame honors Latinos of celebrity status. This is why, Miami is called, “The Capital of Latin America.”

The Latino Walk of Fame, Hugo Morel

The deeper you go along Calle Ocho, the more influences of Latin America you will encounter. Although, Little Havana will always have Cuban roots, many Latinos from all over have moved in. Specifically, many Central Americans have made Little Havana their home. Little Havana will most likely forever be a center for the Latino community in Miami.

Cuban street art, Hugo Morel

Latino stars street art, Hugo Morel

My Mojito(a cocktail with origins in Havana,Cuba) Hugo Morel

Thanks for taking your time to read this post! Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be in Little Haiti. Much Love!!

It was a couple of days before the Memorial Day weekend in Miami. So, I decided to go to Florida’s famous Everglades. About two days before my friends came to Miami. It was a nice 2014 Spring day and I was in store for an amazing experience.

photo edited by Hugo Morel

At my hostel, I was speaking to the staff. After making some friends, one of them informed me to take a boat tour on the everglades. It is always a good idea to make friends with locals. They recommend you to local attractions that would be overlooked. I paid about 80 dollars for the whole experience. The 80 dollars included the bus ride to and from my hostel.

air-boat tour, Hugo morel

After a 45 minute bus ride, we finally arrived to the Everglades. The air-boats fit about 7 people. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can always sit in the middle of the boat. You are less likely to fall over and get bitten by agitator (just joking).

air-boat. Hugo Morel

Once on the air-boat, we got to see more of the Everglades. It is truly a beautiful place. You can spot tons of wildlife everywhere you turn. From turtles to agitators.

wild life, Hugo Morel

swamp, Hugo Morel

shallow water, Hugo Morel

plants, Hugo Morel

beautiful scenery, Hugo Morel

Unfortunately, due to the strange weather patterns, the Everglades are becoming too shallow for boats to pass through. Many people will be out of work. Beautiful nature is being destroyed. Do what you can to support! Try to recycle more!

Beauty Of the Everglades, edited and taken by Hugo Morel

After the boat tour, you can visit the gift shop. Not many interesting items expect the alligator tail and teeth. If you eat meat, they also sell alligator meat. They also let you pet baby alligators. When you are in Miami, definitely stop by the Everglades.

A Real agitator, Hugo Morel

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Next week, we will go to little Havana. Take care and much love!!!